The sharing of the spoils was a very fair result in this keen encounter as both sets of players tried their very best to obtain maximum points. Credit must be given to both keepers as they were in a very fine form with some good saves.

Attard are in fourth place on 14 points from nine games while Naxxar are fourth from bottom on 10 points from eight matches.

After a balanced first period Naxxar enjoyed the lion’s share of exchanges after the resumption.

Attard opened the score after only seven minutes when Sean Agius served Jean C Cuschieri with a cross from the right and he scored with a low shot from inside the area past Naxxar keeper Luke Pecorella.

In another Attard attack minutes later, Agius served Allen Demanuele on the right flank and the ball was cleared to a corner from his cross.

Naxxar reacted and created two actions in a row: Andrew Caruana, after beating a defender on the left flank entered the area and Wallace Galea denied him with a fine diving save. He later did likewise on a shot by Matthew Grech after a Yaron Sammut through ball.

In Attard’s next attack in the 31st minute they were unlucky not to have doubled the score as the ball scraped the top of the bar from an Agius shot after an Adrian Calleja cross.

At the other end, Robert Baldacchino served Grech in the area and Galea saved his close-range shot with a diving save.

In the last action before the break, Cuschieri was fouled on the right flank and from the free kick by Ryan Caruana, Pecorella tipped the ball over the bar.

Naxxar dominated the second period as Attard created only one action. After a well-taken flag kick by James Camilleri, Ryan Cassar headed slightly out from inside the area.

In Attard’s only action in the 57th minute they nearly doubled but Cuschieri drove out from two metres with an open goal at his mercy after an Agius perfect through ball.

The Lions kept insisting and in the 63rd minute they were rewarded for their efforts. Debono was fouled on the right edge of the area and from the resultant free kick the same player obtained the equaliser with a perfect screw shot in the top left hand corner.

Galea then denied Caruana with a diving save to a corner after a Debono through ball, and a minute before the end Naxxar came very close to score the winner when the ball was cleared on the fatal line from a shot by Matthew Grech after a pass in the area by Camilleri.

Referee: Erin Yurtserver

Player of the match: Jurgen Debono  (Naxxar L)     

Balanced game ends goalless

APS Bank U-17 Section C 3

Siggiewi 0

St Lucia    0

A draw was a fair result in this game as both teams tried their very best by trying to open the score, but both sets of forwards found the opposing defenders in very fine form and very difficult to penetrate.

St Lucia are leading the standings on 16 points from seven games while Siggiewi are in fourth position on 10 points from six games.

The leaders created the first two actions. Osvaldo Caruana served Emerson Farrugia in the area but Siggiewi keeper Leon De Giorgio foiled him with a timely sortie. After a well-taken flag kick by Andre’ Ciancio, James Fenech headed over the bar.

In the first attack by Siggiewi they were denied by the woodwork when the ball thumped the bar from a close-range shot by Malcolm Calleja with St Lucia keeper Elton Camilleri beaten.

Then the Saints goalie saved a shot by Luke Vella after he received a pass from Jason Schembri. In another action, Sean Frendo served Vella on the right flank and the ball missed the bar by inches from his cross-shot.

At the other end, Degiorgio saved the ball in two attempts from a freekick.

Siggiewi created the first two actions after the restart. After a run down the left flank by Malcolm Calleja, he crossed the ball in the area but found no takers to apply the killer touch and, a well-taken flag kick by Jason Schembri from the right flank created havoc in the Saints’ area and the ball was somehow cleared.

In a St Lucia fast attack, Jonathan Galea served Farrugia with a through ball outside the area but Degiorgio saved his effort.

The Yellow/Reds kept trying. Calleja served Alister Sammut with a square pass and he drove slightly over the bar from the edge of the area.

After beating a defender on the right flank, Schembri served Shaun Spiteri with a cross and he missed the bar by inches from the edge of the area and Camilleri came to his side’s rescue once again as he denied Calleja with a diving save after a cross-pass by Tyrone Debono.

Two minutes before the end St Lucia were reduced to 10 men as Emerson Farrugia was shown the red card after a second booking.

Referee: Alan Bonnici 

Player of the match: Tyrone Debono (Siggiewi)